I'm With You ➝ Daryl Dixon

fleeting.

eight.

"Don't die idiot." Layla said as she squeezed Glenn into a hug.

"I'll try not to." Glenn laughed, leaving her embrace to strap on his backpack and run to the van that him, Rick, T-Dogg and Daryl were about to leave on their rescue mission in.

The group waved them off, the truck kicking up a pile of dust into the air and making Layla cough and reach for her inhaler.

"You okay?" Andrea asked as the group separated and got on with their daily tasks around camp.

"I'll be good," Layla smiled, "You need some help washing' up?"

"The more the merrier."

-

Carl's laughs echoed across the lake as Shane splashed about in the shallow pools of water, kicking up dirt and shells and discarded litter from the times before.

"I'm beginning to question the division of labor here." Jacqui sighed.

The sun was hot and the women had all been scrubbing at clothing in the lake for a long while now, attempting to get every stain and smell soaked out the fibres with nothing but salty water and blocks of soap.

"Can someone explain to me how the women wound up doing all the Hattie McDaniel work?" Jacqui asked, fed up as she watched Shane play with Carl.

"The world ended. Didn't you get the memo?" Amy responded and Layla laughed although she couldn't help feeling like the statement was slightly unfair to some men in their group who risked their lives to go out hunting for food and supplies for camp.

"It's just the way it is." Carol said sadly.

Layla and the rest of the group were well aware of Ed, Carol's husband, watching them from his car, lazily leaning against it like a prison warden overseeing his working prisoners. He was chain-smoking and had this look on his face like he owned the place.

"I do miss my Maytag." Carol spoke, a look of desire on her face as she remembered more comfortable times.

Andrea sighed, "I miss my Benz, my sat nav."

"I miss my coffeemaker with that dual-drip filter and built-in grinder, honey." Jacqui joined in and Amy shot Layla a look of 'Here she goes again'.

"My computer... And texting." Amy joined too.

Layla didn't join in. She couldn't, because the only thing she could think to say was that she missed her Mom and that surely would ruin the mood.

"I miss my vibrator." Andrea said. The group of women burst into laughter, all sharing their shock and hilarity with one another. The group only continued to laugh harder when Carol, who's husband still stood watching over them, whispered, "Me too."

Their laughs only stopped when Ed shouted over, "What's so funny?"

"Just swapping war stories, Ed." Andrea sighed.

"Yeah." Amy agreed.

Ed came up closer to the group then, seemingly threatening them albeit silently.

"Problem, Ed?" Andrea asked, Layla was starting to like Andrea's outspoken attitude.

"Nothin' that concerns you." Ed responded, turning his attention to Carol, "And you ought to focus on your work. This ain't no comedy club."

Layla let out a shocked laugh, shaking her head at the absurdity of Ed's response. Carol avoided the women's eyes, but they all knew what was going on. They quietened down and went back to scrubbing, Layla not taking her hate filled eyes off of Ed.